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Square Enix Confirms Websites Hacked, Information Stolen

Publisher Square Enix has confirmed reports that its Deus Ex: Human Revolution product site as well as parts of its Eidos Montreal studio site were the victims of a cyber attack yesterday, compromising roughly 25,000 email addresses and a few hundred resumes. And according to one cyber security expert, a splinter group of hacker activist organization Anonymous is responsible.

Visitors to the Deus Ex: Human Revolution site yesterday morning were greeted by a strange message on the home page which read: Owned By Chippy1337. The message also listed the names of the hackers responsible for the attack, including the real name of a supposed Anonymous "leader," Ryan Cleary. However, according to former Washington Post cyber security writer Brian Krebs, who now runs the
Krebs on Security website, the names belong to a group of Anonymous members disliked by the real culprits, who also are Anon members.

"This is how those guys roll: One day they work together, the next they war," an unnamed source told Krebs. "They drop dox on each other like it's a game. Just like they did pinning the defacement of Deus Ex on Blackhatcat. Then denied the whole thing. It's psychotic behavior like I have never seen. It's like they hate each other but will work together on certain ops if it suits them, but then might turn on each other in the end… and then laugh it off."

Beyond the defacement of the Deus Ex website, Square Enix confirmed this afternoon that 350 resumes submitted to Eidos Montreal were obtained during the breach as well as 25,000 email addresses. The publisher noted that those email addresses are not linked to any other personal information and are used to send out product updates to those who sign up.

"We are in the process of writing to each of the individuals who may have been affected to offer our sincere apologies for this situation," Square Enix said in a statement. "No dissemination or misappropriation of any other personal information has been identified at this point."

The hacked sites are now back up and running with improved security measures, Square Enix reports.

Sharkey says: Strange times. I liked Anonymous a whole lot better when they were going after the Church of Scientology. Looks like this was simply a high-profile cyber slap in the face, but if you are registered on any Square websites, might be a good idea to change those passwords.